1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to systems for supporting and/or stabilizing a gun for a shooter or other user of firearms. More particularly, the invention relates to systems that include a bipod for supporting the front of a gun and/or an adjustable gun stock. The bipod is easily attached to the gun and set-up and, in use, provides a great range of movement of the gun relative to the bi-pod, including tilting of the gun forward or backward, as well as panning side to side.
2. Related Art
Since the advent of shoulder-fired weaponry, such as guns, the use of a stock for holding the barrel and firing mechanisms of the weapon has been a standard practice. Typically, a stock made of wood, plastic, or metal extends rearward from the firing mechanism a certain distance, creating what is often referred to as a “gun butt” portion. This gun butt portion is used to stabilize the weapon by the user pressing the gun butt against his/her shoulder while aiming and firing the weapon.
Standard rifles and other shoulder-fired weapons customarily have stocks with a butt portion located a particular distance from the trigger, often referred to as a pull length. The pull length distance for the standard rifle is based on the arm length of an “average user.” A difficulty arises when a user of size smaller than the hypothetical “average user” attempts to use such a weapon. The difficulty is due to the fact that for these smaller individuals, the butt portion of the stock, which is held against the front of the user's shoulder, is too far from the trigger for the user to comfortably reach the trigger and/or properly and safely operate the weapon. Therefore, there is a need for a finely-adjustable gun stock that preferably is continuously adjustable between the extremes of its fully-extended and fully-retracted positions. There is also a need for an adjustable gun stock that is very stable on the user's shoulder and that is unlikely to twist or pivot off of the user's shoulder.
There is a further need for support and stabilization of the front of a gun, whether or not the gun includes an adjustable gun stock. While many pod units have been designed for firearms, there is still a need for a bipod that is easy to install on the gun and to set-up, and which provides a wide range of movement that are optimum for aiming and using a gun, and also for hands-on learning of gun skills and safety rules.